Lachlan Smith '25 Recruiting Profile

I'm playing my senior year on IMG Gold (IMG's #2 Varsity Team) and as I dive into the college basketball recruiting scene, I can't help but wonder what Tom Konchalski, the GOAT of basketball scouting, would've thought about my game. He did see me play a few times, I got to sit with him to watch an Archbishop Stepinac game five years ago, and of course, I was the recipient of a few of his signature firm handshakes. Sadly, I never got the chance to be scouted by him before he passed away. But without even realizing, he gave me something more important than a glowing HSBI report review—the inspiration I got from my first coach, Joe Dunleavy.

Tom had a huge impact on Coach Joe, and Coach Joe had a big impact on me over the eight years coaching me in CYO, middle school, and AAU basketball. He taught me to value and respect the game, and each other on and off the court. He helped me be humble, kind, and genuine. And over and over, he drilled the basics of basketball into me—dribbling, passing, shooting, defending, and jumping really high—along with other stuff like having discipline, being court aware, being a selfless team player and being coachable, and oh by the way, getting great grades in school.  

I take all of those lessons with me to practice every single day, and I continue to grow and become stronger as a player. Basketball has changed a lot over the past few years, from NIL to portal to eligibility.  But for me, the fundamentals, my ability, and my love of the game have not, and I look forward to taking it to the next level in college. It remains about the values of the game:  Thomas C. Konchalski Foundation.